The Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh Police today arrested Dr Kafeel Khan, former nodal officer of the AES ward at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College here, in connection with the deaths of 30 children within 48 hours last month.
There was, however, no let-up in the spate of deaths in the state-run hospital where 13 more children died in the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 1,317 so far this year.
As many as 13 children, 10 in NICU and three in general paediatric ward died in the past 24 hours, newly-appointed principal of the college Dr PK Singh said today.
No death was reported in the encephalitis ward during this period, Dr Singh said, adding that 53 new cases have been admitted in the hospital.
A day after a local court here issued non bailable warrants against seven accused including Khan, STF nabbed him from the outskirts of Gorakhpur.
"Khan was apprehended today at around 9 am from Gorakhpur and he is being handed over to Gorakhpur Police," IG, STF, Amitabh Yash told PTI.
Khan was produced before magistrate Surendra Kumar Singh, who remanded him in judicial custody for 14 day, investigating officer Abhishek Singh said.
Khan's is the third arrest made by the STF in the case after former principal of the medical college, Rajiv Mishra, and his wife, Purnima, were taken into custody by the UP STF on August 29 for questioning in connection with the deaths.
The doctor couple, who are named in an FIR lodged by the UP government, were picked up from Kanpur, where they had reportedly gone to consult a lawyer.
Additional sessions judge Shivanand Singh who had sent the former principal and his wife to 14 days in judicial custody had yesterday issued non bailable warrants against Khan, anaesthetist Dr Satish, pharmacist Gajanan Jaiswal, accountant Sudhir Pandey, assistant clerk Sanjay Kumar Tripathi and gas suppliers Uday Pratap Singh and Manish Bhandari.
Following the deaths cases were registered under various sections of the IPC, Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Medical Council Act against the nine.
Mishra was suspended as principal of the medical college on August 12 after the deaths were reported. He resigned the same day taking moral responsibility.
There were allegations that the deaths occurred due to disruption in oxygen supply as the vendor had not been paid for several months.
While the Uttar Pradesh government vehemently denied that shortage of oxygen led to the deaths, a high-powered probe committee headed by Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar indicted Mishra and others on charges of laxity among others.
Mishra was accused of sitting over the issue of payments to the vendor supplying oxygen gas to the hospital.
The medical college attracted global attention when more than 60 children, mostly infants, died at the hospital within a week last month. The issue also acquired a political colour with the opposition attacking the government over it.
The Allahabad High Court had also sought a "detailed report" on the infrastructure and medical facilities at the medical college.
It has directed the secretary of the Uttar Pradesh State Legal Services Authority to personally visit the medical college hospital and file a report along with photographs of various wards.
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